Our Vision
Imagine a Chicago where Black and Brown parents have a prominent voice in shaping their communities so that every child has access to a world-class education—the kind that opens the doors to new opportunities in college, career, and life. An education where 100% of our students graduate with the confidence, knowledge, and skills to shape our city for the better.
Our Mission
Kids First Chicago’s mission is to dramatically improve education for Chicago’s children by ensuring their families are the respected authorities on what their kids need and decision-makers in their kids' education. We do this by partnering with families to support them in gaining the resources, access, and voice they need to achieve their vision for their children.
OUR CORE BELIEFS
We do not have an Achievement Gap. We have a Discrimination Gap.
We believe that the best way to serve people who have been marginalized is by putting their priorities and perspectives at the center of everything we do and through ongoing direct engagement, particularly with Black and Latine communities.
We don’t have an Achievement Gap in education; we have a Discrimination Gap. My life has been defined by this gap, both in living it and trying to understand it so I might find a way to eradicate it. That’s what drives our work at Kids First Chicago.
—Daniel Anello, CEO, Kids First Chicago
Offering Perspective
Parent leaders and our team share insights on critical CPS issues, from governance to addressing individual kids’ needs.
Our Work
Amplify Parent Power
We bring parents to the decision-making table, providing transparent and digestible information to fuel their engagement and supporting them as they lead work to transform Chicago schools.
Shape Policy
We work with parents to address the root causes of inequitable education outcomes. At the same time, we partner with Chicago Public Schools, the City of Chicago, and others in implementing solutions supported by families and the facts.
Share the Facts
All families deserve access to clear, high-quality data to assess schools’ performance and their kids’ needs, so they can participate in decision-making. We offer independent, transparent data on Chicago schools and the conditions that families face in Chicago.
Where We Engage
While our work benefits all of Chicago, we strategically focus a large portion of our community engagement in the city’s South and West Side communities, where far too many Black and Latine parents have been left out of the conversation for far too long.